The Kirkus Prize is one of the richest literary awards in the world, with a prize of $50,000 bestowed annually to authors of fiction, nonfiction and young readers’ literature. It was created to celebrate the 81 years of discerning, thoughtful criticism Kirkus Reviews has contributed to both the publishing industry and readers at large. Books that earned the Kirkus Star with publication dates between November 1, 2014, and October 31, 2015, are automatically nominated for the 2015 Kirkus Prize, and the winners will be selected on October 23, 2015, by an esteemed panel composed of nationally respected writers and highly regarded booksellers, librarians and Kirkus critics.

KIRKUS REVIEW

Acclaimed writer Boyle presents 12 of his previously published short stories, plus one new story, in this collection intended for teens. While the stories clearly were written for adults, Boyle leaves them intact for young readers. Most feature young protagonists, with the exception of “The Human Fly.” They deal with some humorous situations, such as in “Beat,” Boyle’s parody of Jack Kerouac, but frequently also explore reasons people choose to become violent. Readers will find some stories loads of fun, some realistic, some abstract and some quite disturbing, such as the award-winning “Love of My Life,” about two honor students who kill their unwanted baby. Although young readers may enjoy many of the stories for their entertainment value rather than for deeper thematic content, Boyle’s sophisticated writing style trumps most writing found in the YA genre, allowing young readers a taste of real quality in these seriously thought-provoking selections. (Fiction. YA)

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